Amtech Receives Sizeable Technology Grant from Dutch Government for Solar R&D Projects

Grant Obtained Jointly with Prominent European Solar Research Institute

TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Amtech Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASYS), a global supplier of production and automation systems and related supplies for the manufacture of solar cells, semiconductors, and silicon wafers, today announced that its solar subsidiary, Tempress Systems, Inc.^(R), recently received a $500,000 technology grant from the Dutch government for solar research and development. The Grant was obtained jointly with one of Tempress' European solar research partners, and will be used for developing a process method to improve solar energy conversion efficiency rate.

J.S. Whang, President and Chief Executive Officer of Amtech, commented, "This grant from the Dutch government is the latest in a series of recent Company business developments that demonstrate our growing technology expertise in the front-end manufacturing of solar cells. We continue to be optimistic about the long-term growth opportunities in the solar market and our ability to capture that growth by offering multiple solar production tools and becoming a technology turnkey product supplier to the diffusion, PSG, and PECVD markets."

About Amtech Systems, Inc.

Amtech Systems, Inc. manufactures capital equipment, including silicon wafer handling automation, thermal processing equipment and related consumables used in fabricating solar cells and semiconductor devices. Semiconductors, or semiconductor chips, are fabricated on silicon wafer substrates, sliced from ingots, and are part of the circuitry, or electronic components, of many products including solar cells, computers, telecommunications devices, automotive products, consumer goods, and industrial automation and control systems. The Company's wafer handling, thermal processing and consumable products currently address the diffusion, oxidation, deposition, PECVD, and PSG removal steps used in the fabrication of solar cells, semiconductors, MEMS and the polishing of newly sliced silicon wafers.

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    Source: Amtech Systems, Inc.

Released October 22, 2009